Lost in the Outer Rim: A Star Wars Story
by JonnieBeeGoode
Summary: From the beginning of the Clone Wars to the end of the Republic. Jedi Knight Drew-Kel Von (OC) is faced with constant trials and tribulations of war out in the Outer Rim territories. Trained by Master Taron Malicos-long before the war-Drew-Kel now more then ever will finally have to put his beliefs aside in order to fight to defend the Republic from the Separatist onslaught.
1. Prologue

_**Lost in the Outer Rim: A Star Wars Story**_

~ Prologue ~

The temple is quiet, though I can feel everyone making their way through the halls of the Jedi Temple. An aura of the force surrounding each of them, leaving a distinct trail behind them as they carry on their way. Padawans in the training rooms with their masters being ever so vigilant in their teachings. Jedi knights—like myself—patrolling the halls rushing off to their next assignment in the archives or possibly to the hangers to journey off world. In an epicenter of the force one may find it hard to focus on any one thing or on anyone. Not for me though, not for a Jedi trained with a focus in the Force. That is what a Jedi Consular excels at; what _I_ excel at. And it helps me find the aura I am looking for. I filter out the other force essences and focus on one that gives of the glow of a dark ruby. It is almost hard to pick out amongst the others as it lacks the brightest aspects. However, an apprentice is always spiritually connected to his master. And his master to his apprentice. That is something Taron Malicos had once told his apprentice; something that he had onced told me: Drew-Kel Von.

I stood up to greet my old master as I sensed his aura approaching the outside of the mediation chambers.

"It is a rare sight indeed to see one such as yourself coming into the meditation chambers, Master."

His shoulders were drawn back; his chest tight. Though I would gather that it didn't take someone with the skills of a Lorrdian with Kinetic communication to detect his distraught mindset. He walked into the chambers assessing the room; as if this was his first time every setting foot into it. He slowly walked in a circle, around where I sat on a meditation cushion until he reached the windows. It was impossible to see out of them as the blinds had been brought down only to allow small slivers of light from the bustling Courscant skies into the room.

"If you came for a view, Master, I must apologize as you have come all this way for nothing."

Not even a scoff…even with my witty remark. He stood their staring at the covered windows, his hands crossed over his chest. Obviously something was going on.

"Master Shaak Ti did say that everyone meditates in their own way. I just never assumed…" And as if finally done compiling his thoughts my old master interrupted me.

"Two Jedi along with the senator from Naboo have been taken prisoner on the outer rim planet of Geonosis by Nute Gunray and a handful of separatist leaders."

I had heard rumors that the so called Confederacy of Independent Systems had been growing ever more each day. New systems—mostly outer rim systems—flocking to the call of these separatist. But to take a senator of the Republic _and_ two Jedi prisoners? That almost sounded dauntingly risky for a party of politicians to setup all on their own. Their issue was with the Republic, not the Jedi themselves. However to most of the galaxy, the Jedi were seen as the enforcers of the Republic; and who could blame them. I reached out with the force to enhance my kinetic skills while observing my master as I responded.

"Jedi prisoners? Last I checked we weren't at war with the Separatist. Or did I miss a session of the conclave? For a group of politicians wishing to secede from the Republic, they are sure trying to gain our attention. What would they have to gain from two Jedi prisoners when they have already declared their intentions to leave the Republic?"

And there it was. His shoulders slumped just ever so slightly before he raised them back up to face me. Eyes narrowed focusing on his thoughts.

"As always my old padawan, you ask too many questions. And with so little time to discuss. I came here so that you and I could attend the emergency conclave. The high council has summoned all Masters and Jedi Knights to this meeting. I fear these current events are the first of many unfortunate things to come our way. Now. No more questions, let us be off to the conclave."

Moments later and once again, master and apprentice walked down the halls of the Jedi temple. Though this time I did not feel any excitement or wonder in the pit of my stomach. Nor did my mind wonder off to possibilities of future adventures. No. This time I could only feel a darkness creeping up in the back of my mind. As we drew nearer to the Chamber of Conclave more and more Masters and Jedi Knights were seen funneling into the room.

"Master, never before have I ever seen so many Jedi attending a Conclave."

"It's been sometime before the high council has had any reason to do so my old apprentice."

His master still showed signs of his tense mind set. He must have known more to this situation then he led me to believe. As the Jedi filtered into the chambers I was able to catch a glimpse of those standing at the holoprojector in the center of the room. It was the entire high council, though Master Yoda had seemed to be absent. Master Windu had been speaking with Master Ki Adi-Mundi before Master Shaak Ti began to spoke.

"Greetings my fellow Jedi. I wanted to thank all of you first and foremost for attending today's conclave. As we all know two Jedi have been taken prisoner on the outer rim system of Geonosis. Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker along with the Senator of Naboo."

The room began to buzz as some groups of Jedi's marveled at this news. While looking around the room I could tell this was the first time some of them were finding this out. I glanced at Master Malicos beside me to only see him fixated on the high council members. He definitely knew more than he had told me. My eyes caught a Rodian Jedi from across the room begin to stand up as if to speak.

"Has this anything to do with the assassination attempt on the senator of Naboo's life just days ago?"

I had heard about the assassination attempt. As well as a lot of rumors that it wasn't the Separatist that had orchestrated it. Again, these were signs of political activists rather than the politicians that actually make up the CIS. And as if irritated by the sudden outburst, Master Windu cut in as sharply as the Rodian Jedi had moments before.

"Master Kenobi had been dispatched by the high council to track down a lead in regards to the assassination attempt. It had led him to a planetary system called Kamino where he had learned of a bounty hunter being housed there. The bounty hunter fled after Kenobi made contact and it had led him to Geonosis were we had lost all communications with him. This is the last message we received from Kenobi.

Master Windu moved to the far side of the holoprojector and pressed a few keys that hummed the projector to life showing Master Obi-Wan Kenobi standing. He seemed very composed, and spoke very clearly.

"I have tracked the bounty hunter Jango Fett, to the droid foundries on Geonosis…"

The message went on to explain the Separatists had been amassing a droid army on the planet as well as confirmation that more systems had rallied to the cause and that Viceroy Gunray had been behind the attempts on the senator of Naboo's life—yeah I guess that proves me wrong—and that Count Dooku had been behind this entire separatist formation. The room then is filled with loud gasps as the message ends with Kenobi igniting his lightsaber and backing out of the holoprojector as a droideka advances to take his place in the shot as it fires its blasters. I look once more at my master, this time his eyes are closed as he lets out a much exaggerated sigh. I turn back to the middle of the room as Windu turns off the projector and faces the room of Jedi.

"At this moment the order is faced with something that we have not been faced with since before the Ruusan Reformation that followed after the Sith Wars…"

The room fell disturbingly silent as everyone waited for Master Windu's next words. For the third time I looked at my master and could tell his mind set had changed from distraught to driven. His body showed signs of standing up as if he had heard enough of the conclave. I turned back to the center of the room as Master Windu began to make his final announcement.

"The high council has requested that in order to put an end to this schism before it becomes something we all fear, that we travel to Geonosis…in force. I will be leading 200 Jedi to put an end to this situation and bring back our fellow Jedi as well as the senator of Naboo. Master Yoda has already left to the planet of Kamino and will rendezvous with us on Geonosis. I ask that any Jedi willing to make this journey with us stand now and declare their intent. It is by the will of the force that we come to this crossroads, and how we handle it will decide the outcome. Who among you will answer this call?"

And before I even knew it, my master was already standing. He didn't even look to me or anyone else in the room. And so, I stood alongside my master as other Jedi began to stand with us.

"Well master…I guess we are closer to war with the Separatists than we ever thought huh?"

Taking a very deep breath in, Malicos let it out slowly and lowered his head. As he was about to speak his arm came up to grab my shoulder and grabbed it with just enough force for me to already know what he was about to say.

"No my old padawan…we aren't closer to war, we are _at _war. And every Jedi's life is about to change. Your life is about to change my old padawan. And I hope you are ready to use that saber of yours. You will be needing it."

And over the course of one day, the Jedi order went from peace keepers of the galaxy to becoming generals in the Grand Army of the Republic.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One: **

The Outer Rim Sieges

In all my years since the beginning of the Clone Wars, I have never truly realized how silent space can be. Well, that is…until today! The attack cruiser shook and shuddered as more and more canon fire rang outside the republic attack cruiser hull. From the moment we dropped out of hyperspace we were instantly met with separatist frigates. Though the outside of the cruiser may have been a chaotic mess, inside and on the bridge the crew was as calm as ever. I approach the holoprojector table in the middle of the bridge and switch it on.

"Admiral Lapriz, didn't I ask for a nice relaxing flight to the Ereesus system? I am not sure this is what I had in mind."

Even through the holoprojector I could pick up the slightest hint of a smirk coming from her.

"Despite my best intentions to do so General Von. It seems that the separatists had something else entirely in mind. Now I have good news as well as some rather un-good news. I take it you would like the…"

"Let's switch it up for once. I want to hear the good news first."

Again the smallest sign of a smirk although I know this one was out of frustration. No matter who you were, and Admiral would never like to be interrupted while giving a status report.

"Well…the good news is that we have made it to the Ereesus system, and at a quite leisurely pace upon your request I might add…"

Over all the years we had been fighting this war together, it would appear that the admiral of my fleet had finally learned to retaliate against my humor… and it even stung a bit.

"…though it would appear that in our _urgency _to get here the separatist have managed to fortify their position and set up a blockade around the planet. Skywalkers small line of cruisers have seemed to take the bulk of the blockades force and we have received word that he as well as a platoon of the 501st have managed to make it to planet side despite the onslaught form the blockade. They seem to be getting aid from the Ereesus Planetary Security Forces. But they are requesting immediate evac from the rendezvous point here."

The Clone Wars had been raging on for what seemed like decades and not once had I ever met Anakin Skywalker. I was a few years his senior but everyone knew the leaps and bounds he had made after being picked up from Tattooine after the ordeal on Naboo. And now here I was en route to give aid to one of the most notorious Jedi Knights of the order.

"Well it would seem that the campaign to free the security forces of Ereesus went off without a hitch…or mostly so. Alright admiral, let's get our assault ships to flank our positions and get some starfighters to accompany their defense as we get everything into motion. I will be heading down to the hangar and will join the fight in my own interceptor. Let's get all canon batteries giving cover fire for the Acclamators and make sure those V-wings are providing our transport ships with enough coverage as well. We won't be able to get off the planet without those troops."

I bring my arm up and press the first button on my comlink to signal my astromech R2-V9 to prep my straighter. As I begin to walk out of the main bridge I hear the chatter of the crew beginning to bring to life the battle plans set moments ago.

"General, make sure that _you_ provide enough cover fire for our boys in the Cobalt Corp. I couldn't have said it better myself as you _will_ need those troops to get you all of that rock. I will send you the coordinates for General Skywalkers rendezvous point once you reach your interceptor."

I give her a quick wink and a sly smile and head out of the main bridge.

Once again I am met with the silence of space as my Interceptor is flying towards the planet of Ereesus. The only thing between the planet and my interceptor is space…oh and that separatist fleet. The quiet hum of my interceptor filling the cockpit with tiny vibrations of an otherwise silent ship. Outside my ship the battering of laser fire and swooping vulture droids and tri-fighters chasing my fighters as they chase them. I was never a fan of space dog fights but most of the time they couldn't be avoided. Not when the separatist fleets were trying to blockade every planet in the outer rim. I catch a couple of vulture droids strafing the transport ships that are pouring out of assault cruisers and barrel roll so that they are directly in front of my ship. Locking on to both targets I manage to hit one dead center and only knick the other as it proceeds to evade out of my trajectory.

"Admiral I seem to be in the middle of multiple swarms of vulture droids. Our transport ships are being completely engulfed. Where are those fighters!"

I manage to get behind the second vulture droid and hit the center of its build sending it into a downward spiral before it explodes onto the top of an Acclamator; its surrounding shields quickly rippling outwards from the impact only to disappear as quickly as the appeared.

"General they are on their way. The separatist have been giving us more trouble than I would care to admit. With only the one Venator class cruiser at the moment it is a bit hard to manage against a blockade. Both Acclamators are taking heavy fire as well but the transport ships are out and in route to the rendezvous point. I've ordered our fighters to occupy the vulture droids while a handful of V-wings escort the transport ships. You should be cleared as well to make your way to the transport ships. By the time you catch up to them they should be planet side and ready to mobilize towards General Skywalkers position. "

"Perfect! R2 set a course for the rendezvous point and let's see if we can take a few more droid fighters down along the way. Admiral, see if you can get ahold of Captain Cobalt and the rest of our group so that we can get some reinforcements in the case that we need to punch our way out of here. Cobalt leader out."

As soon as the transmission ends, R2 whirrs that our trajectory has been set and with a push from our thrusters we are headed spiraling towards Ereesus and its atmosphere.

"Lieutenant Beryl, this is General Von. I am en route to the drop ships and want the 109th ready to mobilize as soon as I land. Get the scouting part sent out and let's start making a path towards General Skywalker and the 501st so that we can get in and get out with the least bit of resistance as possible."

Some static is heard as the lieutenant replies back but most of the transmission is heard without issue.

"Sir. The Cobalt Corp is ready for deployment and we have picked up the distress beacon from General Skywalkers last known location. Seem to be quite a bit of clankers down here already. Drift and Skipper out already with a handful of some shinnies to clear out the path for us. Should be hearing back from them any moment General."

Sounds like things were going well down on the ground…now only if Captain Cobalt would get here with those other destroyers and we could make like a gundark and smash our way out of here. I would rather make a quiet escape but with as many separatist ships up there as there were, it was going to be a challenging escape.

"Good to hear lieutenant, wait for my signal to send the first group of troops out, I want to make sure I am with the advancing party. I will be down momentarily."

And with that we made it through the planet's atmosphere and was making our way towards the drop site. Here's to hoping things on the planet were much quieter on the surface. Though how could you get quieter than space…


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two:**

Making an Entrance

Moments after landing the rest of the clone squads are out and mobilizing, I see Lieutenant Beryl setting up some defenses around the drop ships. Out of all the horrors this war has brought the Jedi order and even the republic, I was glad that I could fight alongside men other than the Jedi. The clones were bred for this war and most Jedi only saw them as tools to complete their missions; similar to a lightsaber. Me on the other hand, when I got my own clone corps I knew that—unlike a tool—these men were not expendable and were not to be taken for granted.

"Beryl, what's the status report from Drift and Skipper?"

"Sir! No report yet, although we did just finally send them out. Had a few surprise patrols of clankers that came around as we were unloading."

"Any casualties Lieutenant?"

"No Sir. A few shinnies got their first blaster marks on their armor but they'll survive. The cobalt corps are made of diamond sir."

Clones weren't just tools. Like Beryl many of them had their own unique personalities. Much better company then other Jedi to say the least. And among all the companies of clones out there I was lucky enough to get the ones with the best mixture of by the book and ruler breakers. Hell they had even named themselves after the color of my lightsaber, being the unique blue and purple. Sure their Captain was named Cobalt but….that's beside the point.

"Alright boys let get some of those AT-RTs up and running and press on. Beryl I want a squad or two left behind to defend the drop site. Get everyone ready to roll and I will pave ahead with a few of the boys on the chicken walkers. I want to make this a quick and easy evac."

"General! We'll hold the drop site while you and the scout runners pick up General Skywalker and his squad. Keep an eye out for any of the security forces on your way to the point sir. It's nice to have a few more friendlies planetside."

I gave Beryl a quick salute and force leaped onto an AT-RT—I called them chicken walkers—and signaled for the other scout runners to press on. On foot it would have taken hours to get to the point where Skywalker and his men were held up at, but on chicken walkers we could make that trip in half the time. And if the rumors about Skywalker and his boys in blue were true, I am sure we'd be expecting quite the mess when we'd arrive.

A few clicks out form the drop site and I could see the Hidaci ridge creeping up as we ran closer and closer to the meet up point. If any of the schematics I'd seen on Ereesus were correct, I would guess that Skywalker and his forces had made it to the planetary forces headquarters. Smart move. With the security forces being rescued and working alongside the 501st it would make sense to hold up in their headquarters where they had all sorts of tech and ammunition; not to mention a solid bunker for any perusing forces. Moments later and I get an incoming message from the forward scouts.

"Skipper it's about time we heard from you. Beryl and I were thinking that our two best scouts had gotten lost."

"No sir! We made it to the distress beacon but there's no sign of General Skywalker or the security forces. We did manage to survey the headquarters for the security forces and there seem to be quite a bit of clankers surrounding that area."

Interesting, so the distress beacon hadn't been placed at the headquarters. Which most likely meant it was placed at a temporary hold out before they had to make a move.

"Good work Skipper. You and Dipper scout out the headquarters. I would bet all my rations that they made a move their as the droids perused. We will approach from the front and give you two some cover fire while you get yourselves into the building to confirm Skywalker is there. General Von out."

As the comm link turned off I could her Drift grumbling. He hated how I called him Dipper. But come on, you can't have a dynamic duo called Drift and Skipper. No. Dipper and Skipper sounded much more dynamic. Plus, I gave all my troopers nicknames. And if they didn't have one yet, well…the war was still young.

"Rooster. Boot-strap. Let's change our vector so that we come from the front of the headquarters. Everyone else split up into two teams. We are going to flank the headquarters and provide a full 360 of cover fire. There's a lot of droids sieging the place so pick your teams and let's make this quick!"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Let's scrap some clankers"

"Trooper with the most scrapped clankers buys the drinks tonight!"

Like I said…the clones had personality. The runners split off into their groups and the chicken walker's bounced off with haste. Clones did love their job. And their job was war. Jedi's weren't meant to fight as generals but instead keep the peace and prevent fighting. The day the war started it was hard for many Jedi to grasp the idea of leading billions of troops into battle. Many opposed it but went ahead with it anyways. Many Jedi chose espionage over the war zones. Neither option was appealing for a Jedi Consular; neither option was appealing to someone like me. Though at the end of the day I thought of it as protecting those effected by the war and even about protecting my clones.

Closer and closer we inched towards the headquarters, and the closer I got the sound of blaster fire could be heard alongside the muffled talk of battle droids. I signaled Rooster and Boot-strap to pull off from my approach. That would make this flanking maneuver easier. I lined up my chicken walker to a small incline of a hill and as soon as I reached the top I toggled the walker to jump. Once in the air I myself leapt from the chicken walker force pushing it into a group of battle droids in the center of the court yard. Once my feet touched the ground—cushioning the fall with the force—I reached for my Qinata.

For a Jedi trained as a consular, their primary focus—my primary focus—is the force. We do not put our faith in our fighting nor our lighstabers as the force is our ally. With a Qinata, it allows me to defend myself from any threat while relying on the force to aid those around me. Of course no Jedi is complete without a lightsaber: neither am I. Housed within my Qinata is my lightsaber. Similar to a saber staff or force pike, but I can use the staff with the lightsaber off or ignite it for those more required situations. I can even break the staff in two using both it and the lightsaber as individual weapons.

I prefer to use the Qinata similar to that of a bo staff. Battle droids are feeble and flimsy creations. Using a lightsaber against such a foe is overkill.

My troops are in position around the headquarters. Some firing from their walkers while others prone making for smaller targets. Beryl is approaching behind me with his dual blasters. I sprint out at the incoming droids dodging the incoming blaster fire and imbuing the force into my staff to deflect those bolts that I don't dodge. Drawing closer to the droids I start to swipe my staff at their feet knocking a few down. Those that I miss I proceed to angle my staff upwards taking their heads out of their sockets. My comm link start to go off.

"Go for General Von!" I shout trying to focus on the incoming blaster fire.

"General, this is Captain Rex. Good to see you sir. We have visual on your forces outside of the security headquarters."

"Captain, it's a pleasure. I take it Drift and Skipper made it to you and have updated you on our plans for evac?"

Another wave of droids start to head my way but thankfully the troopers on the surrounding ridges are clearing out most of them with their walkers. I take cover behind a small ledge encircling the court yard when Rex responds.

"Apologies General but troopers Drift and Skipper met up with General Skywalker and went out of the compound to try to create a distraction so we could get out and regroup with you."

I groan. It appears the rumors about Skywalker were true. Always on the move.

"Alright Captain…well it seems we have flanked the area already and anytime you would like to blast your way out of the front doors would be most appreciated. We can wrap this up and then regroup with General…"

And before I even finished I hear the hum of a lightsaber and look towards the roof of the security headquarters. Standing at the edge of the roof is Skywalker flanked by my scouts along with a handful of Ereesi forces. They start to fire down on the remaining squads of droids and Skywalker makes a jump, landing with quite the impact which knocks most of the droids off their feet.

"Captain it looks like your general just made his entrance. I would say it's safe to regroup outside of those headquarters."

And with a blast from the main entrance the 501st pour out of the place with a hail of blaster fire. I guess both general and squad likes to make an entrance.


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three:**

Escape From Ereesus

After the droids had been dealt with and our two forces finally regrouped I had a chance to finally meet the notorious General Skywalker and the 501st. My troopers took the time to resupply and clear the battle field of any wounded so that we could get them onto transport ships once we began the evac.

"General Skywalker, and in the flesh. I am Jedi Knight Drew-Kel Von."

"Thanks for providing some assistance in our distraction General Von. Definitely went much more fluidly with some more muscle from the outside. Rex and I would have been stretched thinly if it weren't for you and your men."

The notorious Anakin Skywalker. Arrogant as ever. Outside of that I did have to admit he had a certain _finesse_ when going about his strategies. And the company of clones usually mirrored that of their general.

"Lieutenant Beryl is waiting for us to make our return to the drop site. So if there is nothing left for us to see to then we should start heading back. And with some haste I might add if we are to get out of this system before more separatist arrive."

As if overhearing our conversation an eressi security force personnel made his way to where Skywalker and I were standing.

"Speaking of lieutenants General Von, this is Lieutenant Sollaw ap-Orwien. He is in charge of the security forces here on Ereesus. If it wasn't for him we would never have made it to their headquarters which provided us a nice staging area for this rendezvous."

Before the lieutenant even spoke, he and I had already greeted one another. In a big galaxy—though we _were_ in the outer rim—it seemed to be a small world. To meet another lorrdian in the outer rim wasn't that rare; especially with Ereesus being neighbors with Lorrd. But to find out that the bulk of the security forces on this planet were composed up of lorrdians like myself was a pleasant surprise. The Lieutenant and I exchanged a forearm shake and nodded each other a job well done. Then General Skywalker broke the silence.

"Well it would appear that you all need no introduction…"

"Our people paid dearly for this ability General Skywalker. Not only did it present us the means to free ourselves from our oppressors long ago, but it allows us to accomplish a certain efficiency in our guerilla warfare without even saying a word."

Captain Rex made his way to our little gathering with a handful of the 501st and the 109th behind him.

"Well I'll say, it's a quite impressive tactic to use in the heat of battle. Lieutenant Sollaw and his men managed to engage the clankers and get us a clear shot to their headquarters without even speaking."

"Not unlike the force, wouldn't you say General Von?" chimed in Skywalker

I shot a quick glance at Skywalker. A glance only a lorrdian could catch. The lieutenant and his men gave quick smiles in return.

"Something like that Skywalker…something like that indeed. Now if it's all the same to you I feel it's time we head back to the transport ships and rejoin the fight above."

And that was when the situation became much more complicate. Before anyone had time to answer I caught a glance from Lieutenant Sollaw. He then acknowledges me and begins to speak so that the others aren't left out.

"With all due respect Generals, this fight is just beginning. While on patrol not long after the separatist armies landed, we intercepted their plans to invade the system. We were unsure of the time frame but…"

I managed to track where his train of thought was leading and interjected. Seeming like an interruption to others but to the lieutenant, he understood it as confirmation that we surmised the same thing.

"But the separatist blockade around the planet alerted you that the invasion was approaching closer then you had initially…I had feared the same thing on our arrival to the system. Dropping out of hyperspace to instant enemy fire can have that effect."

The group was silent for a minute before Skywalker began to give out orders to the 501st. We all wasted no more time and would group up together and begin the trip back to our transport ships; other than the security forces of course. They would stay at their headquarters with a small squad of clones to prepare for our ground forces to arrive.

It took much longer to make it back to the transport ships than it did tracking down Skywalker and his troops. But then again we only had enough chicken walkers for a handful of troopers. None the less we did make it back and right on time. As we began walking into the encampment I could see the 109th troopers getting things packed back up for the return journey to our cruisers above.

"Lieutenant, prompt as always…unless you were planning on leaving without us."

Beryl had taken his helmet off so it was much easier to read his expressions. I could tell he was holding a chuckle in. Out of all the troopers in the cobalt corps he was the one that always tried to play serious. He must have gotten it from his Captain. Cobalt always ran a tight crew.

"Now that you mention it sir, we were hoping you would be here before days end. We have gotten word from Admiral Lapriz and more sepies have dropped into the system. Our acclamators can't hold out much longer. Admiral Lapriz reached out for a status report and gave orders to evac as soon as possible…with or without you she said. But I wasn't going to…"

I waved my hand gesturing his next words away.

"I know Beryl, you wouldn't leave without me. No need to defend yourself. Orders are orders. The important thing is we are here now and with General Skywalkers forces as well so now we can get back to the cruisers. Get the troops on the transports and let's hope our fighters can provide some cover…Skywalker if you are ready, our chariot awaits."

"Let's get back into the fight General Von. Rex get the 501st into those transport ships and hold on tight. It's gonna be a bumpy ride."

As soon as everyone loaded into the ships the blaster doors closed tightly and the roar of the engines began as the transports lifted into the air. Back to space. Back to the silence.

From my interceptor I could see the LAATs began to shake aggressively as we passed through the planets atmospheres and approached the emptiness of space. I brought my comm link up and began to hail the Venator cruiser. The static over the comms was unbearable and gave a heavy indication that things were not going well for our forces.

"General Von to Indigos Pride…General Von to command brigde….Come in Indigos Pride!"

The static continued on with no response.

"R2-V9, see if you can get us patched to the bridge ASAP!"

Whirring and beeping the astromech began to swirl its head towards the cruisers while raising its antenna dish in the same direction. Although still patched with static more and more of the message could be heard.

"General….we've…and the forward…can't take much more!"

I didn't need a full status report to understand the full length of the situation. As we breached into the silence of space I could see swarms of vulture droids harassing our acclamators and the venator was taking the bulk of the blockades fire. Small beams of lasers peppered the hull of the Indigos Pride and groups of fires were breaking out on almost every inch of our ships.

"General Skywalker, I don't we can count on any fighter escorts as we make our way back to the cruiser. Have the pilots get into formation behind me. I am going to punch a hole through these vulture droids and then will loop around behind you. As soon as the path is clear have the pilots use full thrusters and I will pick off as many fighters until we can reach the ship."

"Sounds like a plan, although this would have been a much different situation if we had more cruisers…where are the rest of your ships Von?"

Almost chuckling at the thought of any situation ever being easier for anyone; especially Skywalker. Instead I decided to answer his question with my own.

"I could ask you the same question Skywalker. I've heard you are the best pilot when it comes to crash landings but ships usually are much more efficient in space rather than on the ground. Wouldn't you agree?"

With that being said I turned my comm link off and returned to the silence of space and the hum of my interceptor. If ever I relied on the force for a safe landing, now was more of a time than ever. I inhaled deeply and slowly let the breath out giving myself fully to the force. Before thrusting my interceptor into the fray I thought, 'Captain Cobalt if you were to make a last minute entrance…now would be the time old buddy'. With that I switched all power to the forward deflector shields and began to push through the chaos of the battle field.


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four:**

A Meditative Retreat

Despite all odds being against us, we did manage to make it into the hangar of the venator cruiser; without losing any ships either. I wouldn't say they'd were in the best of working condition but they got us back in one piece. Skywalker and the clones started to pour out of the transport ships while I hopped out of my interceptor. The change of environment from silence outside of the cruiser to inside was almost deafening. Alarms were going off in almost every corner of the hangar and troops scrambled about getting other ships ready for a moment's notice evacuation to making whatever repairs they could. I began to make my way to the bridge while Skywalker followed behind me. To speed things up I hailed the bridge once more hoping to get the admiral.

"Admiral Lapriz, we are in the hangar. So glad you decided to wait for us. _Now_ you can pull back our fighters and get us out of here."

Less static this time. Though trying to hail a cruiser from the ground always managed to be an issue. Being on the ship provided much more clarity.

"General with all due respect the safety and survival of the many outweighs that of the few. It would not have given me any pleasure to retreat without you and the others but it would have left us in a better state…"

There's the leader of my fleet that I grew to know and love. By this point we were coming up on the command bridge.

"…now that we waited longer I would calculate our odds for retreat are very low. They decrease by the minute. Our cruiser would make it, though our acclamators are in much worse conditions. They may not even make the jump to hyperspace without tearing apart."

The doors of the command bridge slide open to see the bridge in similar disarray as the hangar. I could see everyone in the room was tense and some even full of desperation. The admiral looked surprised to see me in the command bridge so soon. Skywalker isn't the only one who knows how to make an entrance.

"I would ask for a systems check on the two acclamators but I don't want to waste any more time. Admiral, let's get as many transports to evacuate from the acclamator with the worst condition and get them into our cruiser or that of other acclamator. Skywalker, I am giving you command of the bridge…all the talk of you being the best pilot in the republic; it's time to see what you got."

With that I begin to the front of the bridge closest to the viewports. It was time I used the skills that made a Jedi Consular. As I walked past the admiral and Skywalker—standing in udder confusion—they finally spoke out in unison as if planned.

"And where do you think you are going?"

I did not turn around to answer but continued to walk to the peak of the command bridge. Once I reached the end of the walk way I lowered my body to kneel. I unhooked my Qinata from my back and laid it in front of me. Bowing my head and closing my eyes I began to focus on the battle raging outside of the cruiser.

"Admiral…Skywalker…I will give you as much time as I can. Get the cruisers and make the jump to hyperspace when you are ready."

With that I began to give myself over to the force. Picturing every aspect of the battle outside: the cruisers, fighters, transports, and troopers. I could feel the anxiety and isolation from those on the acclamator to our right. Claiming the ship was in disarray like our own was an understatement. I began to elevate those emotions and replace it with that of drive and encouragement. Reaching into as many minds as I could I simply said, 'You are not alone'. I then began to transcribe my findings to those in the command bridge.

"Admiral the right acclamator needs the most aid from us. Skywalker I sense your unease. Do not let your emotions cloud the situation."

I could hear the tension in Skywalkers voiced as he responded.

"Von I don't know about you but I would feel a whole lot better as soon as we could get out of here."

Ignoring the other Jedi's emotions I went back to the battle. I could sense the leader of the separatist blockade. Thankfully he was a neimoidian, and he was feeling quite full of himself. While not pushing too hard I began to fill his head with doubt. When facing an enemy that composed primarily of wires and circuits, I often found battle meditation only to be applicable to allied forces. Droids had no minds, therefore they had no will to be manipulated. A neimoidian on the other hand could be manipulated; and quite easily.

After some time engulfed in battle meditation I finally felt relief wash over the Admirals mind. General Skywalker was still busy dealing with orders for returning fighters as our cruisers began to turn away from the enemy. Latching onto his current thought I spoke out which became an echo of the general himself.

"All power to the rear deflector shields!"

I could feel the corner of his mouth rise in a smirk.

"I will admit I have never been one to attempt battle meditation myself General Von…it must be overwhelming to feel every inch and aspect of the battle."

Paying him no mind to his sarcastic gest I touched lightly on the admiral's mind. Whether or not she felt my intrusions, she never did say.

"Generals, evacuation from the acclamator is almost complete. We need to be ready to make the jump to hyperspace!"

Our retreat would not be easy but we would make it out in one piece…more or less. The one acclamator would have to be left behind but if what the admiral claimed was true it would be an empty vessel by the time the separatist reached it.

And as if the universe heard my thoughts alarms started going off on the bridge. One of the clone officers stood out as his mind filled with absolute dread. I pushed my senses out to the surrounding area and felt the push and pull close to the soon to be evacuated cruiser. Before the office even announced to the bridge I felt the ships dropping out of hyperspace.

"Admiral! Three separatist frigates just dropped out of hyperspace! They are right on top of the acclamator!"

The new frigates wasted no time before they began to open fire on the acclamator and the remaining transport ships. Trying to push my own confidence onto those ships trying to escape the laser fire I felt the cruiser begin to split apart. Those still left in the hangar boarding ships to evacuate were caught in the midst of the exploding areas. The desperation and fear that ensued overwhelmed my senses. Trying to keep myself centered, I could feel myself begin to waver in and out of consciousness. My mind began to cloud with a thick haze. Just before crept closer in my mind emptiness I could hear Admiral Lapriz shouting.

"All ships! Make the jump to hyperspace…NOW!

My mind began to wander. Emotions began to flow out in every direction. 'No…we can't…not yet' I could hear myself think in frustration. With that I began to black out. All those troopers. So much pain. So much suffering.

I awoke in the medbay—not knowing how long I was out—to a medical droid poking and prodding my arm. I began to sit up when it then felt like I was missing pieces of my brain. The medical droid stepped back dodging my arm as it swung lazily to catch my head as I fell back.

"Sir, your vitals are coming back inconclusive. Everything seems to be in working order with no minor or major issues."

Of course they were. I had not suffered any physical trauma. Though I could not expect a droid to understand a diagnosis such as a traumatic event to one's mind felt only through that of the force.

"Thank you…how long have I been out?"

"Only a few hours sir. General Skywalker and a few officers brought you here from the bridge not that long ago. If there is any further assistance…"

I sent a weakened wave to the droid. Like I said, nothing a droid could do for what I had just experienced.

"No…that won't be necessary. You may attend to your other patients. They require more assistance than I."

I lied back down to give my body and mind a moment before I returned to the bridge. It wouldn't be any use stumbling back onto the bridge when morale would already be so low. Providing myself a moment or two to regain my strength is what I needed now. The feeling of fatigue after battle meditation wasn't something that I was unfamiliar with. It did provide a great ordeal of strain on a person's body and mind. After all if it was so easy every Jedi would have been able to do it. However it was not the fatigue that provided so much strain to me this time. No, this time it was the fact that when that cruiser had gone up in flames, tearing apart in a matter of moments that being connected to all those minds effected by the crisis had provided a whiplash that I had never felt before. To feel the passing of life forms or even troopers on the battle field was one thing. To feel their passing as if it was my own was what I couldn't have ever imagined. Never would I want to feel something like that again. Experiencing death first hand on that kind of scale…I couldn't imagine any Jedi handling such a thing.


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five:**

Prescribed R&R

Hours passed as I regained my strength in the medbay. Finally feeling strong enough to stand up without feeling like I was in zero gravity, I made my way out of the medbay and began to find my way back to the bridge. Exiting the my room of the medbay I could see more and more clones pilling in—some leaning on one another for support—the medical droid would be working overtime per usual. As I walked past the troopers making their way in, I would give them a reassuring smile or a head nod. Whether or not any of them actually felt reassured was something I could not see from helmet covered faces. Very rarely did they ever take off those helmets.

Walking down the hallways of the ship I could start to make out that in my absence the crew had done well to get the ship back in a more stable condition. Then again after the evacuation of the second acclamator would have provided an abundance of working hands; therefore speeding up repairs. The evacuation…how could I have forgotten about the evacuation? Continuing down the corridors my mind raced with questions. 'Why did I not pick up the incoming separatist ships sooner? Could I have prevented so much loss of life?' Sure when it game to battle meditation I was no Oppo Rancisis or T'ra Saa, but it stilled weighed on me heavily…so did the feeling of defeat.

I finally reached the command bridge and forced the controls to open with a wave of my hand. Similar to the trip from the medbay, the bridge was in a surprisingly perfect condition. Admiral Lapriz and General Skywalker were at the center console of the bridge inspecting a holo-display of the planet Ereesus and the separatist blockade. I motioned forward clearing my throat.

"I take it we have a plan to regroup and return to clear Ereesus of the blockade?"

The admiral gave no indication to remove herself from the holo-display, though Skywalker turned to me and gave a small smile.

"Glad to see you up and about Von. After you blacked out you gave us quite the scare."

The admiral then chimed in.

"For the record I was unmoved by your sudden blackout. We merely collected you from the bridge and I had some officers transport you to the medbay so that we could return to our retreat."

Anakin gave a small chuckle and shook his head.

"Regardless, we are all so very pleased to see you join us so quickly. As for your question about the blockade, _we_ won't be going anywhere. Shortly after the jump to lightspeed I got in contact with the high council to debrief and report on the recent events. The council was disheartened by the escalated situation of the blockade of course…though…"

I could tell he was struggling on how to end his train of thought. What had Skywalker told the council that would have him so uneasy? I motioned my hand towards him in a similar way you would trying to get someone to finish their sentence.

"Go on Skywalker…spit it out."

He seemed to wince as he began to finish his words. Almost seeming to regret his actions before they even had happened.

"…though I filled in the council about your black out and it following shortly after the battle meditation."

Curious. But why would the council be concerned with such a detail. Sure they may have asked about my absence at the debriefing but as far as battle meditation goes, I was not the only Jedi among the order to use such tactics.

"After recalling the final minutes of the retreat, the council ordered us back to Coruscant. With you being unavailable for the initial debrief, they wanted to meet with you for the recount of your mission to Ereesus."

I felt my face become knotted as a wave of frustration passed.

"They…require me to physically be present at the temple for my debriefing?"

Despite my best attempts to relinquish the feeling of frustration I noticed Skywalker acknowledging them.

"Von…your fleet is spread thinly and these ships cannot manage to engage in anymore assaults. On Coruscant we can refuel, repair, and potentially get some additional reinforcements."

At this moment the admiral decided it was a good time to interject.

"Despite your reserves to return to Coruscant, General, our ships are already approaching the system."

My body began to fill with even more frustration; uncontrollably so. Whether it was: the lack of sleep, loss and defeat of the previous battle, strain from the battle mediation, or that tone of insubordination coming from the admiral's sly smirk; it was unclear. And the more time I spent allowing this emotion to grow inside me, the more concerned I became.

"Well then, if the council wishes us to return to the temple, then return we must."

I turned to face the direction of the command bridge doors and began to walk out. Unsurprisingly my Dearing admiral had nothing further to say, Skywalker on the other hand ran to catch up to me.

"Von, you know as well as I do that we can't allow that blockade to remain around Ereesus. And if we had the numbers on our side I would be the first to go against the councils orders. The truth is we lost too many on that acclamator and barely made it out of the system. You even said it yourself after getting us off that planet, we need to regroup."

General Skywalker ceased to amaze me. In one day I would see that all the stories of his _heroic _actions would come to be a hundred percent true. So far since rescuing him and his 501st I would learn that he is: strategic, daring, strong, arrogant, and dare I say abrasive. His cumbersome presence weighed more and heavier on my growing frustration.

"Yes General Skywalker, you are as wise as you are confident. I will take your advice to heart. I may need to start practicing what I preach. Now…if you'll excuse me. It seems I may not have been as well recovered as I thought."

Thankfully he took the hint and began to retreat his persistent following.

"Of course, we still have a ways before we reach Coruscant. It would be best to get some rest while we still can. I will have a trooper notify you as soon as we arrive."

"No need, Skywalker, I shall be well enough on my own. Now, if there is anything else you can find me in my quarters."

With that I nodded a bow to Skywalker as I proceeded down the halls while he retreated back to the command bridge. It was time for me to allow myself a moment of reprieve to clear my head and balance out the emotions colliding within me.

In a cruiser built for war it was hard to find a quiet place to retreat to. Thankfully as leaders of the Grand Army of the Republic, we Jedi, received our own quarters on our flagships. Very rarely were they used in most situations, as we were never allowed a moment to spend with anything other than the war. Safe to say that many Jedi like myself—those more so connected to the force—would not find time but rather _make_ time to meditate. Allowing ourselves to reconnect with the will of the force would keep us more in tune with that of our surroundings. Today, I would spend less time tuning into my surroundings but rather focusing on my inner self.

For many Jedi there was only the light and the dark side of the force. In their eyes everything was black and white. Just like within this war, for those Jedi there was us and them. Any Jedi would tell you this as with the changes that followed since the start of the Clone Wars many had become infatuated with war. It was no longer about being keepers of the peace—though many would still claim to be—but instead falling back to the actions of warriors only bent on ending a galaxy wide crisis.

In reality the force was composed of both light _and_ dark sides of the force. Especially in times of war. During meditation I would revisit my own scale that weighed my connection to the force and I would take steps to keep my self-balanced. War required both temperance and aggression. Just as any with everything in the universe there were extremes to both side. Anyone who stood to be too temperate would often find themselves incapable to take the necessary actions in battle. Typically leading to weakness and in extreme cases, death. Anyone who leaned to far towards aggression would in turn lean too closely to the dark side of the force. This took the Jedi down a path of uncontrollable rage. Many Jedi's in this war walked dangerously close towards the dark side of the force. Those generals craved war and had the blood-lust for it. Equally with those too temperate, being too aggressive would lead to arrogance and that could result in not only the death of the Jedi but of any surrounding individuals.

I could feel my inner scale tipping to that of aggression. The strain of conducting battle meditation and in turn experiencing the loss of human life in such an amount followed by the quick actions of the admiral to leave those caught in the fire of separatist reinforcements to their own demise without any sign of hesitation despite my efforts cocooned into an emotional turmoil. That turmoil would begin to crawl to every corner of my mind before Skywalker then obliged to pester me.

Skywalker wouldn't have known he was do so, and it was unlike me to force blame to someone who took no part in causing the strain. He was merely interjecting himself in the wrong place and at the wrong time. And that is where I would focus on first in my unbalanced scale. Removing Skywalker from the equation entirely. Slowing my breathing which slowed that of my heart rate, I could feel the force sweeping in as I inhaled after each breath. At first it would feel like a chill flooding through my body and its nerves. After a handful of moments—and more deep breathing—that chill would dissipate into a warm feeling that would relax the tension throughout my mind and body. In a matter of moments the tipping of the scale would slowly start to level out.

On the trip back to Coruscant and to the Jedi temple, I would continue to take steps closer and closer to reaching that balance that I always strived for. Each step would relieve another frustration from my mind in turn allowing my body to further relax. Moments like this I would often find myself forgetting about the war and falling back to memories of being a Jedi Knight at the Jedi temple. Meditating after diplomatic disputes, patrolling the halls of the temple at night waiting for the change of guard from a bright eyed and bushy tailed youngling that following morning, and of course; running into my old master from time to time. A simpler time.


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six:**

Temple of Memories

Our arrival at Coruscant was met with what seemed to be every other galactic journeyers. The capital of the core worlds and—many people of the republic—the center of the universe. Standing out among the galactic traffic around Coruscant was that of the Home Defense Fleet. The defense fleet composed of many venator class cruisers. When Jedi generals and their own fleets came back to Coruscant, many of their ships would fall in line with the defense fleet while travelling to the planet below for new orders. The fleet seemed smaller than usual. With the Republic finally pushing and containing the Separatist to the outer rim systems, many and more ships would be spread further and further from the core worlds. My ships would provide no reinforcements to the defense fleet this time. In as decent shape as they were in, they still needed repairs from the space ports on the planet.

In the time that it would take our cruisers to complete the landing cycle, I prepared myself and made my way to the hangar. No need to return to the bridge just to head to the opposite direction after idle chatter with the Admiral and Skywalker. Instead I would make the trip to the Jedi temple myself in my own interceptor. I began to head to the hangar when my comlink started to go off. It was Skywalker.

"Von, our cruisers are making their descent to the planet. Transport ships are standing by to take us to the temple. I will wrap things up on the bridge and meet you down there."

Already more than half way to the hangar it would seem I was two steps ahead of Skywalker.

"Thank you Skywalker. I needed to stretch my legs so I am already making my way to the hangars. As for the transport ships, I will be taking my own interceptor to the temple. I am sure my astromech as well as the fighter itself could use a tune up. I will let the deck officer prep yours as well in the case you would like to do the same."

"Not a bad idea Von…I am sure my R2 unit would enjoy a tune up as well. So be it! I will see you at the temple"

Quick and simple. These were the interactions I enjoyed the most.

I approached the hangar doors and could see the 109th troopers getting the transport ships prepared for departure. Lieutenant Beryl was among them carrying cargo units out of the transport ships we had used for the mission on Ereesus. Never skipped a beat that trooper. Deciding to make a quick detour before making the trip to the temple I approached the lieutenant.

"Do you ever take a break Beryl? I haven't seen you take a breather since…well since the war started!"

Dropping the cargo unit next to the growing stack of others he began to take his helmet off. Underneath a grin could be seen.

"Sir, Captain Cobalt and you run a tight ship. No room to dilly daily. The sooner we get each job done the sooner we can move on to the next assignment, sir."

"Of course Lieutenant…but remember, you aren't droids. You have time to at least take a breather between assignments, right?"

The grin faded from the lieutenant's face.

"With all due respect sir. The sepies don't take a breather and neither do we."

I could see that there was no arguing with the good lieutenant. Once again he would remind me of how dedicated of soldiers these troops were.

"Alright Beryl. All I wanted to say is you have been doing much more work than Captain Cobalt...as always of course."

"I am sure old blue eyes is doing what he can on Ryloth with Generals Kenobi and Windu."

"I am sure he is indeed…"

Putting my hand on his shoulder I gave him a couple pats and then walked over my interceptor.

"Tell the troops to enjoy their time on Coruscant while they can; we won't likely be staying long… and I know some of them are in need of a drink."

I gestured to R2-V9 who opened the canopy of my fighter. Hopping in I began to switch on the takeoff procedures. The flight would be short, but it would be nice to fly through the bustling skies of upper Coruscant. The fighter hummed to life and R2 began to buzz with chatter.

"No R2, we won't be landing with the others. We will be heading to the Jedi temple instead. Don't worry though. You can still get pampered in the hangar bays of the temple."

The astromech exclaimed while twirling his head around ecstatically. I pulled back on the controls lifting the fighter off the ground and pushing into the fighter taking us out of the venator cruiser.

While other pilots may have dreaded the traffic of Coruscant it held a whole other meaning to me. It reminded me of home.

Landing in the hangar bay of the Jedi temple brought back a wave of old emotions: excitement, restlessness, anxiety, and a sense of accomplishment. All emotions that I had gone through mission after mission as an apprentice and Jedi knight before the start of the Clone Wars. The hangar was not as empty as I had expected it to be. Then again after most campaigns the Jedi were recalled back to the temple to receive new orders from Jedi Command.

That's where I would be heading. Jedi Command is where our orders would come in. Syphoned out from the Jedi war room and then through teams who would monitor the data. In the temple there were four command centers. Each being housed in one of the great four spires surrounding the edge of the temple. I usually ventured to the Tower of Reconciliation. Before the war I spent most of my free time in this tower as most Jedi Consulars gravitated here to find peacefully solutions to the galaxy's ever present issues and crisis. While it may not have received as much traffic as it had before, many Jedi who managed to stay at the temple for longer periods of time would be known to use the contemplation stations and honor those Jedi who had been lost—before and during the war—as there were at least 6 bronzium statues representing the fallen Jedi Consulars.

As much as meditating in one of the contemplation stations sounded appealing, I would have to make my way to the command center to begin the debriefing from my mission on Ereesus. If everything went well then I could manage to sneak away for some contemplation after. For feeling so rushed to get the debriefing over and done with, I found myself casually strolling through the halls of the temple. It never ceased to amaze me how at peace I felt in the temple. And with so many Jedi around it was hard not to feel like I was an apprentice once more on errands from my master. My master…it had felt like ages since we last spoke the day of the emergency conclave meeting. He would often slip my mind during combat and other missions, but here…within the temple; it was hard not to allow my mind to wonder.

I find myself approaching the turbo lift at the base of the tower and force activate the controls that open its doors. Entering the lift, just before the doors begin to close a wiry nautolan jumps into the lift knocking into me. He seems to wince as he notices me behind him.

"Apologies Master…I did not mean to intrude nor bump into you…"

I gave a widened grin and patted his back.

"No need to apologize young one. Though if I may be so bold I would say you need to pay closer attention to that of your surroundings. I am Drew-Kel Von. And you are?"

Once more he seemed to wince again. I let out a chuckle.

"Apologies again Master Von…My name in Knox. I am padawan to Master Halsey. I lost track of time while in the archives and found myself running late to meet up with him in the command center."

Could one as young as Knox already find themselves being called into the fray of this war? Or could it just be that he was meeting his master in the command center for a lesson? I began to put my faith into the latter. Alas curiosity took hold in my mind. I had to find out for certain.

"You have great manners padawan Knox. Your haste to meet your master shows you have great dedication to your lessons. What lesson will you be finding yourself learning today?"

The padawan gave out a wide grin and I could see the excitement building in him as he answered.

"No lesson today Master Drew-Kel, today my master and I will be travelling to the Temple of Eedit on Devaron! It is said that there is a vergence of the force there!"

"Ah, I have myself heard of Eedit. A center of the force indeed. Though I have never been there."

The turbo lift continued to fill with the padawans energy and excitement. It would seem he still had more to tell of his future adventures.

"Even more Master, the temple is to be turned into an outpost for our forces. We will be using it against the separatist forces as a surveillance outpost. I will be in command of a clone trooper garrison and everything!"

And that is when my heart sank. I could feel the previous amusement on my face from the energy and excitement from the padawan turn to despair. It would appear he would in fact become indulged into the war. Sure it was not to the front lines just yet. But the temple on Devaron would not go unnoticed by the separatist forces for long.

"Well young one. It would seem that we are heading to the same level of the tower. As well as the force takes us down the same path. Tell me more about the temple of Eedit and what you and your master hope to find there."

Though I may have been disappointed by the young Jedi's journey, I would not take any of his excitement away. The rest of the way up the tower Knox would tell me all about his assignments with his master and his optimism for the future.

The turbo lift finally arrived at the level which hosted the command center. I ushered Knox out first knowing he was much more eager to reach his destination then I had been in reaching mine.

"Thanks for listening Master Drew-Kel! May the force be with you!"

"And with you young Master Knox!"

One day I would hope to see him become a master and spread his youthful optimism among the order.

All of a sudden my mind felt like it was being pulled into a black hole. I winced as my body froze from the shock. I quickly through my arm against the wall of the turbo lift to keep myself from falling. Images began to flash through my mind. I saw the tower of the Jedi temple; though it didn't appear to be on Coruscant as it was engulfed by a surrounding jungle. I heard blaster fire with the echo of both trooper shouts and droid marching. Lightsabers ignited outside the temple doors. Then…then a loud continuous booming. As if something like a predator was charging its prey. The booming grew louder and louder. It was coming towards me. I began to sweat. Frozen I could not move. Just before the loud charging beast approached me, I was snapped back to inside the temple; leaning against the turbo lift. A passing Jedi must have caught my distress and motioned to help me before I smiled and signaled that I was fine.

I felt dizzy. It had been some time since I experienced something of a vision since the war began. Most times it was a small insight to a coming battle or mission. Though I couldn't help but feel that this was not of vision of my future; but that of the young Jedi that I had just met.

Shaking off the dizziness, I made my final approach to the command center. Inside I found many masters and apprentices looking at holomaps and datapads scattered around the room. I found a cluster of holomaps of the outer rim and glanced quickly over them updating myself on the current situations and fleets spread across the territories.

After I had glanced over the out rim holomaps a handful of times waiting for my audience with the council, I finally caught notice of a familiar Kel Dor exiting the turbo lift. Turning towards the entrance to the command center I met eyes with him. It was Master Plo Koon.

"Koh-to-yah Master Von. I do hope we did not keep you waiting for too long?"

Plo Koon was a Jedi that I would often look up to. Not only for his skill and mastery of the force, but for his connection with anyone and everyone he ever encountered. Some said that the connection he formed with his clone troopers was the strongest out of all Generals.

"Not at all Master Plo Koon. I nearly just arrived a few moments ago and used the time to familiarize myself with the situation in the outer rim."

Plo Koon brought up his hand to caress his breathing mask as he often did when in thought.

"Yes, the Separatist armies have managed to fall back and fortify their positions among the outer rim systems. I am aware that you have spent the majority of your time out there since the beginning of the Clone Wars, correct?"

I gave a slow nod to Plo Koon while crossing my arms over my chest.

"I have been patrolling and monitoring the sieges out there since the very start. It was quiet at first but with us managing to drive them from the mid rim it's been much livelier out there."

"In that you and I can agree. I foresee many Jedi focusing their attention in the outer rim before the war is finished…Let us make our way to the council above before we lose anymore track of time sharing war stories."

Experiencing a rush of déjà vu as I entered the turbo lift I had just exited moments earlier, a small hint of the vision came swirling back into my mind. I fortified my muscles and mind to ease the memory and cutoff any sign of distress to be shown on the outside. Unfortunately, Plo Koon had noticed quicker than I was able to extinguish any signs as we took the turbo lift up to the top of the tower.

"Master Skywalker debriefed us on the escape from the separatist blockade on Ereesus. He mentioned that things may not have gone so well if you would not have done what you did."

Without even having to clarify, I already knew he meant the battle meditation.

"It was a necessary action Master Plo Koon. And not the first time I have ever done so either."

"I know that Drew-Kel. And I know it was your Master Taron Malicos who taught you in such ways. However these things require much and more skill in the force for anyone one person to do alone. Many of the Jedi on the council do not even attempt battle meditation without the aid of another Jedi or member of the council."

We reached the top of the tower and the doors of the turbo lift opened to the lobby that lie outside of the council of reconciliation. I waited a moment to allow the air to clear and to see if Plo Koon would exit first. As if in my head, he politely ushered me out first.

"All I am saying Drew-Kel is that for someone as young as yourself—despite your prowess in the force—that something as profound as battle meditation should be handled with caution."

I met his gaze and once more bowed my head in respect.

"I understand Master Plo Koon. I assure you master that I do not take such things lightly. Though in our current situation, I find that most of us are faced with these challenges alone on the battle field. And to prevent loss of life _and _achieve victory I feel my actions are with merit."

Plo Koon once more ushered my through the lobby with a guiding hand on my back as we drew closer to the council chambers.

"That you and I can agree on. However, I must apologize as you may now have to recount not only your mission but possibly even the topic of our discussion with the council."

"Of course Master…"

The council doors _wooshed _opened as Plo Koon and I entered the room with the other council members occupy in a ring around the center. Most Jedi were filled with anxiety when approaching a full room of any council members; though it was not always a bad thing. With that in mind, why was it impossible for me to shake the feeling that I was now on trial for my actions in the battle around Ereesus?

I cleared my mind and gave myself to the force. For at this moment my fate was in the hands of the Council.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven:**

The Councils Judgement

Out of the all the seats that surrounded the center of the room, only 4 of them were filled with Jedi Masters. The other 3 weren't completely empty, but instead filled with the specter shine of each absent master tuning in through holo-projections. The masters were in the middle of a discussion that arose after I had concluded my debriefing. I stood silently in the middle of the council chambers with my hands behind my back. Through the proceeding debate I would scan the room to each Jedi; mostly those who were physically present. Among the Jedi absent were: Mace Windu, Adi Gallia, Saesee Tin, and Ki Adi-Mundi. Despite their distance from the chambers, each one still held an impactful claim in the growing discussion.

Oppo Rancis—one of the leading masters of the council—never took his eyes off me. As experienced Jedi went, he was up there along with Master Yoda. Though when it came to the topic of battle meditation, one could argue he even outranked Yoda.

"Master Von…" Oppo Rancis began to speak, while simultaneously ending the previous discussion.

"It was your master…Taron Malicos who trained you in the ways of meditation no?"

I straightened my posture as if I was in a room full of other Lorrdians and wanted to make my confidence present with every aspect of my body.

"Yes Master, he said that I had an aptitude with the force and that such a connection could aid me much further than that of a physical approach with a lightsaber."

Master Yoda chimed in, speaking in that of the backward riddles every Jedi quoted and respected.

"Strongly connected to the force you are…correct your master was in this observation."

To the right of Yoda, Master Windu leaned forward clasping his palms together.

"Regardless of an aptitude in the force, battle meditation is something reserved to that of master of the order. And not to mention, only to be used in the company of other masters. It was reckless for you to take such a risky approach to an already wavering battle."

I remained silent, as is what one was best to do in when in an audience with any council of masters. And while not every Jedi had spoken, I could feel many of them supported Master Windu's statement. Sure…I did too. Though that doesn't mean I agreed that it was reckless or should be reserved to only masters. And on the point about only using it when accompanied by others; I agreed on that as well. We did not often find ourselves to have the luxury of other Jedi—let alone masters—in the battle field.

Plo Koon sat aside from Windu stroking his breathing mask once more. I will admit it was somewhat frustrating having to plead my case to the council after pleading it to him moments before…guess that was my fault though. I should have shut my mouth. Though in the next few moments he would reassure me that it was beneficial to have spoken with him beforehand.

"Let us not forget that in Master Drew-Kel's efforts, he did manage to save that of many lives aboard both his flagship and the other cruisers. Because of his use of battle meditation he allowed many to evacuate the out of commission cruiser to his very own. Providing much more time then otherwise permitted."

All this time and Oppo Rancis still never took his eyes off of me. Was he in my head? Sorting through my own thoughts and emotions? Was he even hearing me take notice of his starring? Master Yoda cut in drawing my attention from my own thoughts to his words.

"Mmmm…Correct Master Plo is. A Jedi's place…it is to prevent unnecessary loss of life. Though difficult it has become, hmmm? Master Oppo…quiet you have been…anything to say do you?"

Silence feel over the room for some time before Oppo Rancis began to speak. And he didn't even say hardly anything but merely motioned to me and asked a question.

"We have been discussing all of your actions…judging them based on your tale. Tell me…how did you feel during these events?"

I was caught off guard. Not by the question but by the sudden change in the air. Oppo Rancis had heard all of his fellow masters speak and yet wanted to hear my thoughts on the matter. I felt the need to bow in appreciation.

"This had not been my first time using battle meditation. However I must admit that this was the first time that while connected to those around me that I had felt…."

I paused. Thinking on that moment when all those troopers on the besieged cruiser were in so much pain and lost their lives. As always Yoda was quick to pick up on my thoughts. He chimed in to finish my sentence.

"Pain. Suffering it is that you felt, yes? To plunge oneself into the force…connected you become with all living things. Become a part of them you do. Empowering it is. Even more dangerous it is."

"Yes Master…I will admit that I was overwhelmed with all of it. However my troops give everything and more in this war so how could I do anything less?"

From the glittering holo-image of Master Ki Adi-Mundi came almost a rebuttal to my question.

"Master Von, it is their duty to give as you say 'everything and more' this is the reason they were created. It is our job to bring this war to a quicker end and allow peace to reside. "

That left a bad taste in my mouth. And somehow I doubted any of the masters wouldn't feel as much from me…especially Oppo Rancis.

"With all due respect Master Mundi, if they were indeed bred for this war and only this war I would argue that in turn we were bred only to lead them such. The force flows through them as much as it does us…manufactured or otherwise."

If Plo Koon's face was not covered by that breathing mask—and had lips—I know that a smile would have formed at my defense of the clone troopers. Though I could sense that Master Windu felt otherwise.

"Drew-Kel, the Jedi were not _bred _to become leaders in a galactic war. That is the difference between us and the clones who serve the Republic. And while I do not think that they are expendable, they are an asset of the Republic and in such I agree that it is our job to protect them as such. Without them this war would have been lost long before it started."

"Lost? Lost you say? Lost already we have…fear I do that our way, the Jedi have lost. Clouded our future is. By this war clouded it is…our place in it misguided I feel."

Adi Gallia finally made her thoughts know. Brought to that by Yoda's wisdom.

"I would agree Master Yoda. With that being said how could we forsake Drew-Kel for taking actions that he felt necessary to achieve the end goal? He may feel for his own troops, but how many of us could say any different? Plo Koon and I revere our troopers with the highest respect. Plo Koon's bond to his own men may even rival that of Drew-Kel's."

Oppo Rancis found his way into the conversation to add his support and control the conversation back to its original topic.

"Agreed…though Master Von…caution I must instill in you when using this sort of meditation. Doubt your connection to the force neither I nor this council does. But even the greatest Jedi must know his own limits. Do not let your emotions to your troops cloud your judgement. Keep your mind free of emotion. Let the force guide you in your actions. However I feel that I do not need to remind you of your teachings young master Jedi."

Again I simply bowed my head remaining silent. As if to conclude the meeting, silent Master Saesee Tin spoke.

"Then I think this council is agreed upon in our assessment of Master Von, as well as are we prepared to give the young master his new assignment…"

Quickly glancing around the council members to see heads nod in agreement. I decided I was free to talk as the debate was over.

"I accept whatever judgement as well as any assignment that the council has to offer."

Yoda began to chuckle in his childish way expressing his sudden sense of humor.

"A difficult assignment it will be…your most difficult one no doubt."

Continuing to chuckle Yoda began to point at me before speaking once more.

"Experienced you are in the force. A great teacher you will become…"

I opened my mouth to acknowledge Master Yodas compliment…wait…did he just what I think he said?

"Thank you Master Yoda…however I feel that I am still sometime away from being experienced enough to become a Master of the order."

'And hopefully it would be a time when we would not be at war' I managed not to add in fear of conveying doubt my loyalty to the Republic and even more so to the order.

"Surprise…we have for you then! Difficult times these are. Less and less, Jedi find themselves ready to be for a padawan learner. Confidence we do not find in most. Different you are…ready you will become, hmmm?"

If they had in fact felt that I was so confident, why was it that every word Master Yoda spoke managed to make me fell entirely the opposite?

"Master…I don't think I quite understand what you are getting at here…"

"A padawan learner, Master Von. Time it is for you to teach another of the force. Great strength you have in facing your assignments during war. Good. Take those lessons you will. Share them with your padawan. Grow from it…you both will."

There it was, my stomach was in my throat. Or was it my throat was in my stomach? Whatever the feeling was, all of that confidence that I had built up before and washed away. Before I even composed my thoughts I felt my mouth open and words that did not feel like my own flow from my tongue.

"Masters I really must protest…I do not feel that I am ready for this tremendous privilege. Surely there are others older….more wiser than I who would be better suited to the task. Plus my station out in the outer rim is no place for a padawan. War is no place for a…"

At that I closed my mouth as quickly as it opened. The council fell silent as they were contemplating my previous outburst. Finally Master Yoda ended the discussion before anything more could be said.

"Master Von…spoke the council has. Regret our decision, we do not. A padawan learner you will take with you on your assignments. Aid you in your journeys the padawan will."

What else could I say against an already decided action? The only thing left to do was admit defeat and hope that the force would guide me.

"Of course Master…I apologize for my outburst. I will accept the assignment of a padawan learner and do my best to live up to the councils expectations. Thank you for your confidence in me."

"Apologize need you not. Prepare yourself instead. Your padawan arrives shortly to our chambers. For the ceremony of Master & Apprentice, conclude we will together."

Out of all the ways I imagined this conversation going…this was not anywhere near close to what I had expected. Some sort of reprimand? Sure. A reassignment from the outer rim to a supporting fleet? Possible. To be assigned a padawan? Changed from unlikely to a reality.

I had always admired those Jedi masters who took padawan learners in the time since the Clone Wars began; however I was also saddened anytime I heard of that same padawan being killed in the battle field. And now I was condemning a padawan of my own to the same fate.

In the end, all I could think in my head was the only phrase us Jedi ever used for any situation. May the force be with me. Now more than ever.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight:**

A Padawans Vow

It had been a full day since I was summoned to the high council of Jedi masters. Master Sinube had taken me to the side during a training session and explained that after the incident on Illum that my path as a Jedi may have diverged from that of any padawan learner. It was not that my balance in the force was in question, but instead that I lacked the strength and courage to deal with that which every padawan must overcome on Illum. And while I may not have eyes, as a miraluka I could see my path as clearly as anyone else could; maybe even more so. I was to join a branch of the Service Corps.

In The Jedi Order, if you did not embody the right amount of Jedi practices such as: balance, strength, confidence, and a positive attitude; that usually meant you were off to the Jedi Service Corps. That wasn't always necessarily a negative thing though, well not for most. The Service Corps had a branch for each type of Jedi. There were branches for agriculture, education, exploration, and even healing. At least with my skills in the force I would be able to join the Medical Corps.

And while that had been what I expected to be told on the day that Master Sinube escorted me to the high council; it's not what had happened at all. Instead the council had explained that my skills in the force—while well utilized in the medical corps—had been too great to ignore. Instead they would assign me to a Jedi Knight with an equal aptitude in the force to train me as my master. An utter shock to me for sure, however I would not say that it was an unwelcome one. If I were to be shipped off to the Medical Corps, it was likely that I would have been sent to the front lines of the war as well. Something I would not have looked forward to at all. In this case I could stay here in the temple being trained under a master Jedi. After all they wouldn't send me out to the front lines with my new master; not with their knowledge of me as a padawan...would they?

I had time to meditate on these things in the chapel of the temple while I awaited the arrival of my master. Never would I have thought to find myself—O'Adorra Efari—in the Rotunda chapel meditating on my future and eagerly awaiting to meet my master as so many other padawans in my class had already done before me. They had said my master had an aptitude in the force, but outside of that I virtual knew nothing about him or her.

Moments later and the door to my chapel room opened up to show Master Sinube on the other side of it. He began to slowly walk inside as the clacking of his cane echoed around in the small room. As if just awoken from sleep he cleared his throat and spoke out in his familiar raspy voice.

"_Ahem_…The council is ready for you Young…_Ahem_…I mean Padawan Efari."

He showcased a very big smile. I guess I wasn't the only one who was still getting used to my reassignment. I jumped off the meditation seat and flowed into a full bow.

"Thank you Master Sinube…does that mean my master has arrived as well?"

I motioned my head around where Master Sinube stood, just to see if my master was awaiting outside.

"Come Padawan Efari, you have nothing to be nervous about. Your new master is awaiting you in the chambers of the Council of Reconciliation. He has just returned from the outer rim."

There it was! My first clue….**HE**! My master was a _He_. Now there was just the following questions of what species could he be….could he be human? A zabrak? A something else different entirely! How old was he? Old like Master Sinube? Or maybe even as Young as Master Skywalker! He would be older than me anyways. As most padawans, I was only 16 years old. Thought…what if he was only a _few_ more years older than me. The council did say that he had an aptitude in the force. That could mean he was a gifted Jedi, which often meant a quick learner. My mind would not rest. Racing in every other direction before Master Sinube attempted to calm my mind once more.

"Padawan Efari. We could spend all day in this room as your mind travels faster than lightspeed. Slow yourself padawan. Allow your mind to live in the moment. Not drift into the unknown."

My cheeks began to flush. I felt embarrassed.

"Ye…yes Master Sinube. I will try. May we make our way to the council now?"

Master Sinube clacked his cane on the ground a handful of times before turning around to exit the chapel room.

"As we should. Try not to run me over as we head to the tower padawan. The council isn't going anywhere and neither is your master…now let us be off."

I followed Master Sinube out of the chapel room and felt my way through the chapel halls and doorways like I have always done around the temple. For a miraluka, vision wasn't something we had in common with that of mostly every other species in the galaxy; let alone other Jedi. For us we _saw_ the force. It was called force sight. But it wasn't just the force that we saw. Well not for me at least. For me I could see the auras of every living thing. Living in the Jedi temple it was like living in the center of a rainbow. Each Jedi had their own aura and no two Jedi had the same aura.

Following Master Sinube through the translucent hallways of the temple, was like following a ghostly apparition. His aura was a very bright turquoise blue; hence the ghostly feel. The halls around us were as I said translucent and through them I could see other Jedi. Each standing out in their own ways. I brought my head up to look in the direction of the tower where we were heading, though from this faraway all the auras were hard to individual decipher out. Moments later I found myself falling back onto the floor.

"Padawan Efari…what did I say about _slowing_ down."

In the time I took to look away from where I was walking to the direction in which the tower stood, I had managed to bump into Master Sinube which then sent me off balance sending me onto my back.

My entire face felt like it was on fire. I just laid there on the ground felling his gaze on me.

"Master I….it was only for…I am sorry Master Sinube…"

"Come, come Padawan. We have much further to go to reach the tower. And at this rate we won't reach them till tomorrow. Pick yourself up Padawan Efari. And try to keep your eyes on the path set in front of you."

He began to walk away from me and after a couple more second I stood from the ground dusting myself off and straitening my robes. My hair had been starting to fall out of the knotted bun after the fall as well. Quickly I threw it back into a tightly knotted bun and instead of racing off to catch up to Master Sinube, I took my time. After only a couple of seconds I was already shoulder to shoulder to shoulder with him. Although his head only really came up to _my_ shoulder.

The tower turbo lifts were just ahead of us when Master Sinube stopped dead in his tracks, allowing me to pass him for a few yards before I noticed he was not there. I turned back to see him walking in the opposite direction.

"Um…Master?"

I said wondering if he had merely just been turned around by mistake.

"The rest of the way you will go on alone Padawan Efari. This is the will of the force that guides you to your journey…not for mine."

"But Master…didn't you say we were going to the tower _together_?"

Master Sinube stopped and turned his head back towards me.

"And to the tower we went! I did not say I was going to go _up_ the tower with you padawan. Now go! Your master is waiting…_patiently_ I might add. Remember that Padawan Efari. Patience is your ally, as is the force."

He started off down the hallway without any further interruptions. I looked at the turbo lift at the bottom of the tower and began to walk towards it. Once I reached the doors I pressed the turbo lift controls to call it down to me. As I waited I glanced up, tracing the skeleton of the turbo lift to the peak of the tower. Now that I was closer, the auras were much easier to make out. A ring of colors traced the outside of the tower, those were the Master of the Jedi Council. And in the middle of the ring was a bright indigo light. That was the master waiting for his padawan. That was _my_ master.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine:**

Master & Apprentice

In the time since I was assigned a padawan learner to the time we drew closer to their arrival, many of the absent members of the council had broken their transmissions and returned back to their assignments. The rest of council educated me on the padawans progression through training. The rest of the time I took compiling my thoughts to allow the force to give me a glimpse of this padawans future…like it had done for me with that young nautolan. Then, out of the blue I felt a tidal wave of anxiety rise through the great bones of the tower. It was my padawan arriving. I kept my back turned to the lobby of the tower as I could feel the turbo lift settle at its final destination.

"Arrived, the padawan has."

Master Yoda announced to the room. Some small conversations among other council members dying out. The lobby doors opened silently and ushered in the young padawan. At this point I still kept my back turned. I didn't want my eyes to cloud what it is I saw and felt from the padawans feelings. Using kinetic communication usually allowed for a deeper look into someone or somethings mind and emotions; however there was room for error in the person's judgement. Through the force I could keep myself free of judgement. She was nervous. She was very young. Though she was a beacon of energy through the force. I tapped into my connection in the force to see that energy. Her aura…it was…crystalline. Pure energy with radiating burst of colors; one of each spectrum. I was in awe.

"Koh-to-yah young one. Come in!"

Plo Koon was always good at making a person feel welcomed. He continued to speak, and on my behalf.

"It is a pleasure for me to introduce you to Master Drew-Kel Von. Your Jedi Master."

At this I turned to face the padawan. She was a young miraluka female, with auburn hair. She wore a forest green colored headband; that only covered that of her eye sockets. Her hair was put up with only a few strands hanging rebelliously. And her hands were crossed in front of her. The muscles in her hands were clenched very tight. Almost afraid to let go. It would appear I wasn't the only one with racing emotions. I bowed my head to her.

"The pleasure is all mine Padawan…?"

She instantly stood up straight. Hand clenching tighter has she let out a very quick bow only to remain bowed.

"Yes that is me…I mean thank you O'Adorra Efari…well that's my name. Not your name. Sorry Master…"

I couldn't help letting a small smile begin to form on my face. I walked closer to the padawan just to kneel in front of her. I let my hand out just far enough from her and motioned her to rise.

"Padawan Efari, there is no need to apologize to me. Now or for any reason later in our journeys together. Raise your head my friend."

She slowly let herself up before pulling those rebellious strands of hair from her face and to behind her ears.

"Sorry Master… thank you Master Von. I guess I am just nervous is all."

The council let out small chuckle that echoed around the room. I could see that O'Adorra was beginning to blush much more vividly. Out of the handful of council members present, Yoda once again the first to speak.

"Nervous, _both _of you are. A new journey…beginning it is."

As Master Yoda continued to speak his wisdom I lightly put my hand behind O'Adorra's shoulder and guided her to stand beside me. I could still feel that her anxiety was ever present. Though there was also the hint of a calmness replacing that of the anxiety.

"Time it is now, to take your vows: to the Republic, the Jedi order, and to _each other_…Master and Apprentice you have become!"

Though the both of us were unsure of where this partnership would go—and while I was still unsure of my part in all of this—it was my job to guide O'Adorra Efari and train her in the ways of the force so that she too could become a Jedi Knight. And I would not fail her. I would not let her fall while I still drew breath as Master.

I will admit, coming to meet my new master was not all that frightening. Now that I had actually seen him, it seemed much less intimidating. He was much younger than I thought he would have been. And his aura! His connection to the force seemed to shadow my own. All around him was what seemed to be an indigo flame that empowered him. That was one of the most overwhelming presences in the room.

Though with every new experience there are these emotions of anxiety and nervousness that can never be shaken until afterwards. And coming before the council…with so many masters in the room. That in itself was enough to unbalance someone with any sort of confidence. Though my new master did not seem effected by it all; or could it be that he was just better at concealing it?

Both he and I had made our vows to which we would uphold: the Republic, our Jedi Order, and of course one another for as long as he was my master, and I his padawan. So that at least meant he and I would be together for a decade. Even though some padawans took less time than that to complete their trials. And after the padawan became a Jedi Knight, that didn't really mean that the relationship of master and apprentice was truly dissolved. That bond often times lasted a lifetime.

We now proceeded to walk through the halls of the Jedi temple to a place Master Von had said was his favorite place in the entire Jedi temple. As we made our way to the rooftop of the ziggurat little was said between us. Instead I took this time to investigate my new master through the force. Poking at his defenses. Reaching out for any type of response or reaction to my curiosity. No matter what I tried he seemed to not take notice of any of it. I gave up after a while has I felt that I was just crossing the line of common courtesy on day one of my apprenticeship.

My will eventually broke as the silence was deafening.

"Excuse me Master…I was curious…what _is_ your favorite place in the temple."

A few moments passed and I thought this was some sort of test. Either that or he wasn't paying attention to me. I decided to try again.

"My favorite place is the room of a thousand fountains. Though we never really were allowed to spend much time there during our training. I can tell _that's_ not where we are going as that on the far northwest side of the temple…and we are heading to the top of the temple…right?"

Again, no response from my new master. Surely I couldn't have done something to offend him already….right? Then my questions were finally answered. Well some of them at least.

"Very perceptive O'Adorra. Yes we are in fact heading to the top of the temple. I myself have never spent too much time in the room of a thousand fountains either. You could say that our destination has much in common with that room…minus a hundred fountains or so."

Okay so he had heard me. He even had a sense of humor…well kind of.

"So we aren't heading to the room of a thousand fountains…but we are going somewhere similar? The only place I could think of would be the meditation gardens. But those are only in the towers aren't they? And from where we are we are heading away from those."

Master Von was much taller than me and not to mention a fast walker; so the height difference just added to his speed over me. He turned around and just gave me a smile and a small chuckle. Had I said something funny?

"I can tell that you are riddled with questions O'Adorra. You know what they say about curiosity killed the loth-cat right? All your questions will be answered soon O'Adorra, until then patience is your first answer."

I nodded my head and trailed along behind my master. He had such a calmness around him that in was hard not to feel at ease. There was something else about him though; and I couldn't put my finger on it. And as much as it killed me to keep walking beside him in silence, I did my best to be patient. To help, I just kept repeating the word in my head. It didn't actually help…

The day Master Malicos took me as his padawan was one of the most memorable days of my time in the temple. On that day he had taken me to the training rooms and we spent the day fighting one another. Honing our lightsaber skills. He and I would find that even though I would come to have an aptitude for fighting; it was never something I enjoyed. After each session I would go off on my own to meditate. Something that my old master would not have a taste for.

Now that isn't to say that my master and I never saw eye to eye. Sure we had our differences and that was the best part of our relationship. He was an extraordinary fighter and I had much more of an indulgence for the force. We balanced each other out. However…that was during a time of peace. We weren't at war like we were now.

O'Adorra Efari would have plenty of chances to train and test her fighting skills once we left back to the outer rim sieges. While we were allowed some solace from the battle field, I wanted to give both her and myself time to focus on the force. That is why on the first day of her training, we would be taking an extended stay in the meditation gardens. And not just any of the meditation gardens; but one of the largest sections of them that inhabited the rooftop sections of the temple.

We had been in the gardens—meditating—for a little over an hour or so. O'Adorra had spent that time surprisingly silent; her breathing calm and relaxed. On the way to the gardens she had been riddled with nothing but questions for me. So as that full hour of silence was just at its end, I decided I would open up the floor for questions; starting with my own.

"You do not bear a lightsaber O'Adorra…why is this?"

She knelt beside me as we both meditated. My eyes closed, only experiencing the expressive colors of the life around us through the force; similar to what I imagined O'Adorra saw.

"On the expedition to Illum—with my padawan clan—I was the only one to return without a crystal of my own."

Oddly enough this was the most calm I had ever felt her be. Sure we only met today but in all that time she was never _this_ collected.

"Tell me about it O'Adorra…"

Just as I did when we met I kept my eyes closed during our conversation as I wanted to see her through the force and only the force. I wanted to experience her thoughts and emotions as they arose and fell. The council had explained to me that during O'Adorra's gathering to Illum that she had _failed _in the search for her crystal and that afterwards she had shown signs of fear during her trials in the ice caves. The council's story of her _failure_ was not theirs to tell however. I wanted to hear it from her. I wanted to be in the moment with her. Experience what she had experienced on that day.

"Master Sinube led the exhibition with Ronto clan to Illum. It was to be our gathering and despite the other padawans excitement in the journey, I felt more…"

"Hesitant…"

I could feel that engulfing feeling of calm start to give way to that very hesitation.

"Yes Master, after we had arrived I felt uneased. From the moment we stepped out of the _Crucible_ the planet was a harsh cold environment. When we made it inside the temple it wasn't much different."

"Go on O'Adorra…you are safe here. Show me what happened that day."

The ties I was forming with her mind and my own were beginning to allow me to see as she saw on that very day. Surrounded by fellow padawans of different shapes and sizes. Master Sinube stood there in front of her—in front of me—and this is where the memory of that fateful day would start.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter 10:**

Trials of Illum

The temple was cold. Though it was not as cold as the weather outside. I was in the middle of a group of five other padawans. There was a besalisk, a zabrak, a gand, another human, and a nikto. In front of us Master Sinube—who led our gathering—was coming up to a small pedestal in the middle of the room; on which Master Yoda sat. We all were huddling closely together as none of us were used to being in a place this cold.

"Cold you all are, yes?"

I could feel my teeth clattering together as we all nodded our heads rapidly to Master Yodas question.

"Use the force, hmm? Feel it around you. Let it now flow within. Use it to keep you warm. For your journey, it has only begun."

We were all still learning about the force and all of the ways a Jedi could call upon it. Was it really so simple to use it in a situation like this? I closed my eyes and tried to bring my rapid breathing to a slow and calm pace. I would inhale deeply and the icy daggers would fill my lungs, sending chills throughout my entire body. After a few more deep breaths the chill was dulled. It wasn't completely gone, but it was bearable. I couldn't help but let a smile rise across my face.

"Ah…Youngling Efari has achieved this. An example she is, for you all to follow."

My cheeks began to heat up as I blushed. I was slightly embarrassed to be put on the spot; but the heat that came from my reaction felt nice as it warmed my face from the cold. The gand had made a couple of clicks and whirs; I couldn't tell if they were compliments or insults so I just slightly smiled at him. Behind me the besalisk boy dropped his two upper arms on my shoulders, while his lower two arms grasped my arms as he shook me with excitement. The rest of the padawans let out shouts and blurbs

"You have _got_ to teach me that OA!"

"She can do it but I _can't_?!"

"Alright OA! Way to strut your stuff!

Master Sinube started pounding his cane against the icy floor. It sent ripples of creaking ice throughout the inner temple.

"Younglings…Younglings! Gather round now. Master Yoda has much more to say."

Without even making another word we all huddled closer to gather, and closer to the Masters which stood in the middle of the temple. A great frozen waterfall lying behind them.

"Correct Master Sinube is. Of the essence, our time is! Why you have come to this place…know any of you? Hmm?"

Most padawans said Illum was were you went to get your lightsaber. Though padawans said a lot of things to us younglings; and not all right. I tried to crouch behind the taller besalisk that had nudged in front of me moments before. And while most of the padawans were whispering among each other, no one said anything.

"Anyone? No one? Hmm…a Jedi has many tools in our roles as peacekeepers yes? The force, one of these tools is. The greatest tool. Another great tool, we the Jedi use. Can anyone tell me…what tool this is?"

The zabrak girl jumped up with her hand shooting to the air; her pony tail flailing behind her.

"Yes youngling…what is this tool?"

She jumped once more before planting herself on the ground and standing tall to answer the grand master.

"A lighstaber Master…that is _the_ greatest tool that the Jedi use. And that is why were are here. To build our lightsabers!"

Master Yoda chuckled at the young zabrak's answer. I looked over to see Master Sinube and his reaction; only to see that he was what looked to be half asleep.

"Correct, you are. Though not the greatest tool…the lightsaber is. The force. That is your greatest tool. Remember that, all of you must…Now open the path to the temple we will. Before constructing your lightsaber, find the heart of it you must."

Master Yoda raised his head to the ceiling of the temple. I followed in suit and saw a large crystal heart in a contraption on the ceiling. It looked like an ancient relic from Jedi long ago. As I looked at the ceiling I could begin to see light sneaking in from the ring around the giant crystal. Rings with smaller shinning crystals lining the heart began to move around it. I looked back down to see Master Yoda _and_ Master Sinube using the force to rearrange the giant contraption on the ceiling. More light poured in from a growing whole on the outside and that light went straight into the crystals heart and then directed rays of that light in every which direction. In my eyes this was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

One of those rays had caught another smaller crystal and shot the beam at the large frozen waterfall that I had seen behind the masters earlier. The frozen waterfall quickly began to melt turning to rushing water that flowed onto the ground and around us. Revealing a doorway behind.

Moments later we had all moved from the center of the room to just outside of the newly discovered doorway. Master Yoda and Master Sinube had explained that to find the kyber crystals that would power our lightsabers, we would have to venture _further_ into the cave to locate them. They had said that in the caves there would be only one crystal that would be for each padawan; and that it would _call_ out to us in some way. However to find our crystal, each of us would have to overcome something—an obstacle perhaps—that no one else could aid us in. We were only looking for our own crystals which meant we would only be able to overcome these challenges ourselves. Oh…and if that wasn't stressful enough, we had a time limit. The frozen waterfall that covered the doorway was already beginning to freeze back over. If we were unable to find our crystal and make it out in time, we would be stuck in the passageways for who knows how long.

Master Yoda was right…time was of the essence.

Sometime had passed—or at least from what I could tell—after we had all entered through the doorway and into the caverns. The initial caverns were ornate with inlaid designs on the columns outlining the halls. At this point in time, I was alone and walking through the more rough and natural cavern tunnels. Despite the growing fear of not finding my crystal and making it out of the caverns before being trapped; there was something about this place, and I wondered if the other padawans had felt this. It was almost like the force filled the air in these tunnels. It would have been calming, if not for that fear that scratched at the back of my mind.

Each turn I took and each path I followed, I felt more and more like I was doing nothing but walking in circles only to end up feeling lost. My mind started to wander on the other younglings again. Were they feeling lost just like me? Have any of them actually even seen any crystals yet? Wait…what if _all_ of them had already found there crystals? What if I was the only one left? I started to feel my heartbeat quicken. My skin began to get colder and I felt myself begin to shake.

"This is impossible. I must be walking in circles! I haven't seen anyone _and_ I haven't seen any crystals!

I fell to the ground as these emotions submerged my senses, and felt tears begin to well up in my eyes.

"_She has given up…"_

A chill ran up my spine and launched me into a jump. Now standing, I quickly turned in a full circle looking around my surroundings.

"Wh…who's there? Master Sinube? Is….is that you?"

"_Found their crystals already, the other younglings have…."_

The voices sounded like the masters but they seemed distant. I tried to start running down the halls looking for them but all of a sudden the caves were giving off such a bright light that it was blinding me and the pathways became harder and harder to navigate.

"Masters! I can't see very well! The caves…the ice must be playing with my sight!"

"_Closing, the ice is…make it out, she will not"_

What? The ice was closing already! Had I spent all this time lost? No…no that wasn't possible.

"_It is possible…she has failed where everyone else has succeeded."_

"_Leaver you we must. Sealed your fate has become…"_

I felt sweat dripping from around my forehead. My body was covered in it too. It was shaking uncontrollably as I ran trying to manage through the tunnels and back to the doorway leading out.

"Masters! I am coming! Ple…Please don't leave me here…"

Just before I could finish my sentence I felt myself fall flat on my face. My shin searing with pain from whatever block of ice I had hit. I laid there on the cold hard floor, sobbing. The voices continued to echo through the caves as I cried. I crossed my arms over my chest to hold myself and curled into a ball. I tried to let the force in like I had done earlier to keep myself from freezing to death. And as much as I tried, the cold was overpowering everything I tried and the shaking took over my body completely. I tried one last time—through clattering teeth—to call out for help.

"Puh…puh…please Masters…I'm so…I am so cold…"

The only response to be heard was that of the echoing voices.

"_Never a Jedi, would she have become…"_

"_Such a shame. You showed so much promise to just be a failure."_

No! I wasn't a failure. This wasn't my fault. How could I find my crystal or even overcome my obstacles if I couldn't _see_!

"No…masters…the tuh…tuh…tunnels. Too bright…can't…see…"

My body was becoming numb. It almost felt…well it almost felt warm. The shaking had started to leave my body as I crew numb. If I had eyes, they would have felt heavy. Instead my mind felt heavy. The light coming from the caverns was too bright. My senses we scrambled and my focus was slipping. Against my better judgement I allowed myself to give in to the growing numbness. Just before I gave into the darkness covering my mind I could hear the crackling of ice in the caves. That was it. I would never make it out of here. Instead I would be frozen in here. Forever.

I tried to say something. Anything. But alone in the darkness of my mind I could manage only to scream. That scream would go on to echo through the blinding halls of the caverns.


End file.
